News, observations and reader questions about the Sacramento Kings and the NBA.

December 21, 2012

LOS ANGELES - Here are some quotes from the Kings locker room regarding DeMarcus Cousins being left in the locker room at halftime of tonight's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after a verbal altercation with head coach Keith Smart.

Smart on why Cousins didn't play in the second half:

"It was conduct detrimental to the team and we left it at."

Smart on if Cousins would play Sunday against Portland:

"I'm going to focus on tonight and then I'll move forward to the next day."

Cousins said he "was in the wrong" during halftime.

"What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room but I was wrong. But what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room."

Cousins was then asked what he could do to avoid further situations where attention was on his actions off the court.

"Don't talk back. That's the thing. I shouldn't have responded back. Should have accepted what was said and stayed quiet."

Cousins said the situation was humbling.

"I messed up. I'm apologizing to all my teammates for it, for responding the way I did, and we'll move on from it...I grow from all of my mistakes."